There are not one, not two but three ferry companies who visit Waiheke Island. Here is a guide to each, and to the current Waiheke Island Ferry Timetable. If you’re looking for the Bus timetable you will find the most current one linked here.

ONE: FULLERS FERRY

The busiest ferry is Fullers, which leaves from Downtown Auckland. It carries people, bikes, dogs, and prams, but not cars.

The Fullers timetable changes seasonally so the best thing to do is check it online for the time you want to come.

Watchouts: THREE things to look out for here: 1) Fullers offer a Reserve Ferry where you book a seat, this is quite expensive and we don’t think it’s necessary unless you are heading to a wedding on a busy Saturday or are time-restricted in another way (heading back to your cruise ship!?). 2) Fullers also offer a lower price ferry ticket for an afternoon of fun, there are time restrictions and the details are here. 3) If there are a few of you (4 or more) it’s best value to buy a 10-trip ticket, which gets you 4 passengers return, and two left over for a lot less than 4 return tickets - read the fine print by looking for Flexi-Pass on the article at this link (and check their website online and they do change prices and conditions).

TWO: ISLAND DIRECT FERRY

Island Direct is also a passenger ferry, which leaves from Downtown Auckland.

They allow dogs, bike and luggage, they are locally owned and very obliging - note their ferry is smaller with large picture windows and can be a wee bit bumpier in rough weather. Their timetable is online and they encourage you to book before you come, but you don’t have to.

Watchouts: 1) The booked-seat option is $55 - cheaper than Fullers walk-on service and much cheaper than Fullers Reserve, so if you want the surety of a seat and not queuing this is a great option. 2) They offer great coffee and toasted sandwiches as well as local wine and our own Heke Lager cans on board. 3) As mentioned the boat is a bit smaller so it can be a bumpy ride if it’s rough - which is infrequent.

THREE: SEALINK VEHICLE AND PASSENGER FERRY

Sealink is a passenger and vehicle ferry that has two departure points in Auckland - one close to downtown, and one east of the city at Half Moon Bay.

They allow people, cars, trucks, freight and also offer gr boats with comfortable cafes and friendly staff. The ferry is a great option for peak days like Saturday mornings, or if you don’t need to be in downtown Auckland for departure.

Watchouts: 1) Check the timetable and book online before you travel. 2) Bringing a car can be expensive but the advantages of being able to throw everything into the car and especially with kids - make it a no-brainer for many. 3) Book your car early ESPECIALLY if it’s a holiday weekend.

Summing up:

The Waiheke ferry timetable is actually three different timetables, so we have tried to make it simpler for you by having them all here to refer to. There are lots of options, and some watchouts, and a lot more information on how to get to Waiheke Island what to do when you get here in this article too so read this next. Note we do our best to keep things up to date but really we are busy running the Waiheke Distillery, Waiheke Whisky, Waiheke Brewery and busy restaurant so check up on the faces on the links provided.